The New Normal

Heya Internet! So, we are now officially in Level 1 lockdown. Yay. I suppose? Well, that has been the general reaction from my fellow citizens. As mentioned before, I had major reservations about Level 3, and then same issues in Level 2, in that no one seemed to be complying with the regulations. Have things gotten worse? Will the economy improve? Is the insane asylum that is the rest of the world any better? I don’t bloody know the answers to these questions! But at least I have the decency not to pretend that I do! What do I know? I know what my new normal looks like, so let’s talk about that…

My normal now involves a real commitment to healthy living to keep myself in the best shape and with the strongest immune system possible, just in case. Obviously, I am being very careful of virus exposure and hygiene, like anyone who doesn’t believe the virus is a conspiracy. Seriously, what is wrong with the cognitive ability of those people? Most of us now know of people who are or have been positive, people who have died. How can a person then turn around and delude themselves into thinking this is some vast, elaborate conspiracy theory? Maybe if you shake them, their brains would dribble out of their ears, sounds about right and it would explain so much. If they thought they were actually living in The Matrix (you know from the Keanu Reeves’ movies) I could respect that more. I mean sure, still totally coo-coo for coco pops, but I could give more credence to that delusion than this drivel that covid-19 is not real. Honestly, that is why I have to be careful to be operating at my peak to protect myself from those subscribing to this sort of lunacy and their dangerous behaviours. Sure, they are often easy to spot (no mask if they can get away with it) but not always. I am also easy to spot with my mask AND shield or goggles AND wellington boots. It is practical and protective, but also a signal to stay the hell away from me. The PPE is there to do its job but also to scream to the world to keep your distance. While the boots have been useful in the rainy Cape Town winter, it’s also all the better to kick your bloody arse with, if need be. Remember I did/do muay thai, I know how to kick and I fancy wellies would be very good at helping get the job done. After careful consideration, I am thinking the conspiracy theorists would not like to get on the wrong side of me.

Beyond the basics of proper mask, shield/goggles wear and social distancing and trying to do everything remotely, working from home and doing everything online if possible, it is clear that the virus is not going anywhere anytime soon. So, that means that being cautious and stringent when coming into contact with others during in-person meetings and activities, because those are going to sometimes have to happen before we are safe from this virus. One has to be most vigilant when interacting with those at high risk and making sure we all protect our loved ones and everyone else’s loved ones.

These days are all about the little things and the giant conundrums. The small things are the everyday changes like masks (fun with all the ear cramping) and incessant hand washing (hello, raw little paws) to the big questions, like what do we leave behind from the “old world” and how do we save the crippled economy. And when the president talks about this being our “New Normal”, it’s not just him, or the government, it’s all of our new lives in this pandemic.

What else is my new normal? Other than obviously mask wearing outside my home and the unceasing handwashing and sanitising at all times, I am taking my health so much more seriously. Now I have been a health-conscious person for many, many years, since I finished high school in fact, but now I am more aware of it. Before I would exercise most of the time however now I am mindful of how I exercise (ugggh, mindful, I hate the abuse and overuse of that word). I am trying to get the most out of my exercise and that does not mean yoga or meditation, that means intense cardio, muay thai and tough strength exercises, making sure to get the most out of each session. I have also become pescatarian since lockdown. This hasn’t been a hardship and frankly my eating has been veering more steadily towards that or vegetarianism for the last ten years. However, with the practicalities of the pandemic and online food ordering, it became clear this was the way to go for me and I have honestly never felt better. Before I would eat treats and unhealthier foods if they were around and I liked them, but now they are not around and the effort involved in getting any food, let alone something that is nutritionally worthless, is an undertaking I am not willing to make. I feel healthier, lighter, more energetic than ever before and I don’t want that to change when the pandemic situation improves.

How does my healthy eating manifest practically? Well, I found a few snack packs of trail mix in the cupboard from a picnic before all of this. I ate one and had to sit down from the sugar rush from the few raisins and dried cranberries scattered between the nuts and seeds. I have never been quite this healthy before! I know that might sound horribly sanctimonious and healthier-than-thou and it is really not my intention, I am doing this for a variety of reasons, the pandemic being the main but not only one, and have ended up feeling amazing. Go figure. There is no judgement here in this, that is reserved for the non-mask-wearing out there who put the rest of us in harm’s way. Yeah, I more than judge that! This ridiculous health kick is a by-product of circumstances which has made me feel incredible so I will take it.

Just like junk food, I am not partaking in worthless activities or mindless consumerism either these days. Like everyone else, money is very much a concern in my life, even more so than it ever was before. But beyond the financial factors, the effort involved in senseless buying, from how to get the items, let alone washing or sanitising them once you have them is nonsensical if you don’t need them. The mission just to get my hands on some light bulbs online was ridiculous! I would not even think about bothering to select, pay for, get delivered and then sanitise something I did not need. The same goes for pointless pastimes, those are in the past (I am letting the lazy pun go…). The whole world has become so excited about getting back to all the inane social endeavours that they have left any and all precaution behind, when diving headfirst back in. Sure, I am managing just fine without going to sit in a dark, often smelly movie theatre with strangers or sitting down with hundreds of potential covid-19 vectors to eat a meal without a mask for more money than I would pay at home or one of dozens of other dangerous activities. It might be easier for me because I don’t crave these things, but I miss real socialising with friends and family, I miss the gym, I miss space but this is how one stays safe. I loved to buy clothes in the past, now, it is an insane mission if I need to buy new clothing (which I have had to do since the pandemic started), it is done online and then stringent hygiene practices employed once received. Clothes shopping isn’t fun anymore, it is now an endlessly thoughtful and stressful activity, not the gratuitous consumerism it may have been before. There is no more going to a possibly lame party or night out with friends for fear of missing out. No, going out thoughtlessly holds a new danger beyond being a single, young woman in South Africa, it can be a death sentence for oneself and one’s loved ones not just an immediate physical danger. None of this is worth it in my mind. Cherishing and holding onto ones’ relationships digitally, checking in, staying close and showing you care by not being there physically shows a greater love and care than partaking in some random social gathering. This might not be the opinion of many, but it’s sure as hell the path I am taking.

I suppose all of this makes my world quite small these days, and that is very true. But it doesn’t mean it has narrowed or restricted my mind, my thinking, my ideals or my future plans. The original purpose of this blog, travel, and my statement about still travelling when all this is under control is the same now as it was in late March/early April. I am not going to let this virus or the flagrantly selfish behaviour of most people steal my dreams, one way or the other. But you have to be alive to fulfil your dreams. And that is what it boils down to, I am doing everything in my power to make certain that I survive this to live my life and see my wishes made real. Best not get in the way of me doing that. I have wellies and I know how to use them.